Adjustable jack or sampson post



P 12, 1932- 'r. A. L. BOWEN 1,853,256

ADJUSTABLE JACK OR SAMPSON POST Filed May 31, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR Way/2 L. flows/7 ATTO R N EY April 12, 1931 I T. A. 1.. BOWEN 1,853,256

ADJUSTABLE JACK 0R SAMPSON POST Filed May 31. 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 lllllllnmll.

' TINVENTCR BY /0y/1.L.B0we/7 ATTORNEY Patented-Apr. 12, 1932 TROY A. L. BOWEN, F TULSA,.OKLAHOMA ADJUSTABLE ACK 0R SAMPSON POST Application filed May 31,

I My invention relates to standard well drilling equipment and more particularly to steel fronts for rigs of thatcharacter.

Inthe various steel fronts provided for drilling rigsto replace the wooden fronts formerly used, the principal objection has been the inability of the structure to withstand the severe strains incident to drilling deep wells.

The principal objects of my invention are to provide a front embodying great strength, necessaryin drilling deep wells andincluding adjustable jack and Sampson posts to enable proper adjustmentof the posts in relation to each other and to the well hole.

It is a further object of my invention to provide an apparatus of this character that can be manufactured and installed at a saving in cost over equipment now available,

and that can be readily disassembled and M moved from one'well to another.

In accomplishing these and other objects of my invention 1 have provided improved details of structure the-preferred form of which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a front, embodying my invention, installed in operable relation with a derrick.

Fig. 2 is an elevationalend View of the jack and Sampson posts adjustably mounted on a longitudinal sill.

Fig. 3 is an elevational side view of the jack posts mounted on sills shown in cross section.

Fig. 4 is aside view of the Sampson post particularly illustrating the manner of bracingthe post. 7

Referring more in detail to the drawings:

1 designates a portion of an oil well derrick including a floor 2 and girders 3 braced in the usual manner to form anopening 4 for accommodatingthe rocking movement of a I walking beam 5. I

6 designates a. jack and Sampson post assembly, commonly termed a derrick front, for supporting the walking beam and a band wheel 7 later described,.and includes a main sill 8 preferably comprising a continuous I- so beam having an upper flange 9, a lower flange 1930. Serial No. 458,812.

10 and an intermediate web 11, the lower flange resting on spaced aligning blocks or piersl2, 13 and 1 1 near their outer edges, and near the inner edges of blocks 15 and 16.

Mounted on the blocks 15 and 16 and adjacent'the outer edge of the main sill near the derrick end is a short supplementary sill 17 also of I-beam construction and bound to the main sill by bolts 18 extended through the webs of the short and mainsills and so through flangeslSj of plates 20 inserted between the sills as shown in Fig. 4.

Supported on the blocks 12, 13 and 14, in spaced relation wlth the inner edge of the main sill and parallel thereto, is a cooperat- 0:! ing sill 21 retained improperly spaced condition with the main sill by spacing plates 22, similar to the plates 20 and inserted between the webs of the main sill and sill 21, bolts 23 being extended through the webs of the sills i and through the flanges of the spacing plates for securely retaining the sills in their re spective positions.

A row of blocks 24: complementary to the blocks 12, 13 and 14 and parallel thereto, support a pair of sills 25 and 26 of a length equal to the sill 21, the several sills being anchored to the respective blocks by bolts 27 including hook ends 28 embedded in the blocks as illustrated in Fig. 3, the bolts extending through, so aligning openings in the sill flanges and having threaded upper ends 29 forreceiving nuts The arrangement of the sills thus far described forms a foundation for a Sampson; post 31 and for spaced jackposts 32 and 33, now to be described in detail.

The Sampson post comprises a pair of legs 34 and 35 preferably formed of I-beams arranged with the flanges in transverse rela- '90 tion to the sills and supported in converging relation to each other on foot members 36, adjustably mounted on base plates 37 above the blocks 15 and 16 respectively.

Each base plate is corrugated on its upper surface to form a series of teeth38 for engaging complementary teeth 39 on the lower sur face of the foot members which are preferably formed in divided sections including vertical bracket portions 40 braced to the footmembers by webs 41 and bolted to the opposite sides of the webs of the legs 34 and 35 by bolts 42.

To brace and adjust the legs in spaced relation to each other a tie rod 43 is inserted between upstanding lugs 44 on the foot members and nuts 45 are threaded on each end of the rod to prevent spreading of the legs.

The bolts 27 anchoring the supplementary sill and main sill to the blocks 15 and 16 are extended also through the base plate and through elongated openings 46 in the foot members 36 to securely mount the lower ends of the legs 34 and 35 on the main and supplementary sills.

Attached to the upper adjoining ends of the Sampson post legs is a casting 47 including bracket portions 48 secured by bolts 49 to the webs of the converging legs and including a bearing portion 50 journalling a shaft 51 for pivotally mounting the walking beam 5 on the Sampson post.

In order to prevent lateral swaying of the Sampson post a brace 52 is secured by a bolt 53 extended through the lower flattened end of the brace to a lateral sill 54 which is joined to the supplementary sill by a bracket 55 fixed to the lateral sill as indicated at 56, a supporting block 57 sustaining the outer end of the lateral sill.

Provided on the upper end of the brace is an apertured ear 58 inserted between the spaced ears 59 integral with the casting 47, and connected thereto by a cross pin 60. V

Mounted on the sills 8 and 21 above the blocks 13 and 14, and in transverse alignment therewith on the sills 25 and 26 above the complementary blocks 24, are base plates 61, having corrugated upper faces 62 for receiving the lower corrugated faces 63 of foot members 64 similar in structure to the foot members 36, for supporting the spaced jack posts 32 and 33.

Each pair of posts or legs 32, and 33 converges upwardly and is connected at its upper end to a lower bearing member 65 including bracket portions 66 secured to the webs of the jack posts by bolts 67, a bearing cap 68 cooperating with each lower bearing member for journalling a shaft 69 adapted to carry the band wheel 7.

The jack posts are secured on the respective sills by the bolts 27 anchored in thefsupporting blocks and extended through the base plate and foot members 61 and 64 respectively, and are further anchored to the sills by rods 7 O projected through cross plates 71 engaging the lower flanges of the sills and extending through 'lhe upper and lower bearing portions mounted on the ends of the jack posts. Nuts 7 2 threaded on the lower ends of the bolts bear against the cross plates, and nuts 73 on the upper end thereof engage the lower bearing members for firmly maintaining the jack posts on the sills, lock nuts 74 threaded on the extreme upper ends of the bolts,'serving to secure the upper bearing members in adjusted relation with the lower bearing members.

To prevent spreading of the jack posts atie rod 75 is inserted between upstanding lugs 76 on the foot members and is secured thereto by nuts 77 threaded on its outer ends.

The band wheel may be driven from the usual power source through a belt 7 8, and a crank 79 fixed to the shaft 69 is operably connected to the walking beam 5 by a pitman 80 in accordance with common practice.

Assumin an apparatus to be constructed as describe the procedure of assembly and of adjustment of the parts would be as fol lows:

After the concrete piers or blocks have been constructed in the ground in proper formation on one side of the derrick with the anchoring bolts firmly secured in the blocks, the main sill, supplementary sill and complementary sills are mounted on the blocks and the spacing plates are inserted between the sills and bolted in place;

The Sampson post may then be mounted on the bolts projecting from the blocks 15 and 16 and adjusted in proper spaced relation from the derrick center.

The jack posts are mounted in like manner above the blocks 13 and 14 and complementary blocks 24 on the sills 821 and 2526 respectively.

It will be obvious that efficiency of operation and long life of the drilling mechanism depends largely on the proper alignment of the walking beam with the crank of the band wheel, and great care is therefore exercised to adjust the jack posts in relation to the Sampson post before firmly securing the posts to the sills.

Due to the continuous main sill under-lying both the Sampson and jack posts an exceptionally strong unit is obtained as the weight and load on the jack and Sampson posts as- 73 1. In a device of the character described including jack and Sampson posts and a supporting sill, means including corrugated plates mounted on the sill and corrugated feet on the posts to engage said plates for ad- A justably supporting the posts.

2. In'apparatus of the character described, a sill, a jack post on the sill including converging legs, foot members on the legs having lower corrugated faces, base plates on the sill having upper corrugated faces to receive 33 foot members on the sill in adjusted relation with the base plates.

3. In apparatus of the character described,

a sill, a jack post on the sill including converging legs, a bearing member on the upper ends of the legs, foot members on the lower ends of the legs having lower corrugated faces, base plates on the sill having upper corrugated faces, means for'securing, the foot members and base plates on the sill, and means for anchoring the bearing member to the sill.

4. In apparatus of the character described, a sill, a jack post on the sill including converging legs, mating foot members including portions having corrugated lower faces, base plates on the .sill having upper corrugated faces, and means for securing the foot members and base plates on the sill in adjusted relation to each other.

' 5. In apparatus of the character described, a longitudinal main sill, a supplementary short sill adjacent the outer edge of the main sill, a Sampson post supported on the main.

and short sills, foot members on the Sampson post having corrugated lower surfaces, base plates on the sills having corrugated upper surfaces, common means for securing the foot members and base plates on the sills, a com plementary sill adjacent the inner edge of the main sill, a jack post on the main and complementary sills, foot members on the jack posts having corrugated lower surfaces, base plates on the sills having corrugated upper surfaces, and common means for securing said lastnamed foot members and base plates to the main and complementary sills.

6. In apparatus of the character described, a sill, a jack post on the sill including converging legs having foot members, base plates on the sills, cooperating means on the lower faces of the foot members and on the upper faces of the base platesfor adjustably supportingthe legs on the sill, and means for securing the foot members and base plates to the sill in adjusted position.

7. In apparatus of the character described, including a supporting sill, jack and Sampson posts mounted on the sill in spaced relation, base plates on the sill, cooperating means on the lower faces of said posts and on the upper faces of the base plates for supporting the jack and Sampson posts in bodily adjustable spaced relation on the sill, and means for securing the foot members and base plates to the sill in adjusted position.

8. In apparatus of the character described, a plurality of aligned supporting blocks, a longitudinal main sill having opposite ends anchored to theend blocks, a Sampson post supported adjacent one end of said sill, a

jack post supported on the sill in spaced relation from the opposite end, and common means for securing said post to the sills and blocks, including means forsupporting said posts in bodily adjustable spaced relation on said sill.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

TROY A. L. BOWEN.

bracket portions engaging the legs and foot 

